Deep Within
by Erin Elric
Summary: Zell's life begans to fall apart at the seams all because of one mission. Zell centric.
1. Chapter 1

Hello all. I've decided to write a Zell and Selphie because I can. Read review No flames and italic is thought in Zell's POV. If any one is OOC I'm sorry.

Deep Within

Zell sighed resting his chin on his hand. Class was all ways boring but it was even more boring now that he had class with the new Instructor… what's her name. _"Okay I'll admit I forgot her name, but either which way she is still the boringist woman on the planet."_ He heard some one else sigh in annoyance he looked over to his left to see that it was Seifer who gave him this weird look.

'What' he mouthed.

He simply shook his head then looked away.

"And there will be a test next week." Said the nameless Instructor

_"Test? On what how boring this class is?"_ "Hey Squall." He whispered elbowing the silent teen that was sitting to the right of him.

"Hmmm?"

"Did you take any notes I zoned out."

"No."

"Seifer?"

"I don't take notes."

"Oh man." He sighed.

About that time the door opened and Selphie came running in. "I'm so sorry Instructor Fusion, I had to show this new kid around, and I have a note to prove that and-"

"I've told you another tardy and I was giving you detention for a month."

"But…"

"That's not fair!" yelled Zell who stood up from his desk. _"What the hell are you doing?"_

"Zell." Said Squall.

"Sit down and shut up." Said Seifer.

"It's not fair. First you sit there and lecture on and on about something extremely boring then you give us a test now you are punishing Selphie for no reason and…"

At detention…

"Hey Zell…"

"Yeah Selphie?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Defending me… it was really sweet of you."

He blushed. "Your… um… welcome hehe."

"Are you going to the dance?"

"Dance? What dance?"

"The spring dance duh. So are you going or not?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Oh." She sighed sadly. "So… why didn't you want to go?"

"I don't know." He said shrugging his shoulders.

She chuckled.

"What?"

"I had all ways thought that you'd be the kind of guy that was into going to dances."

"I don't really like them."

"Why not?"

"I… can't dance…"

She eyed him oddly. "Oh." She said in a skeptic tone of voice.

He opened his mouth to say something when the Instructor walked in.

"You two may leave now." She said.

He got up and began to leave.

"Wait Zell!" Selphie called.

"Hmm?" he asked when he stopped.

"I was wondering if you'd go to the dance with me."

"Huh, uh yeah sure." He said blushing again.

She smiled. "Good well I guess I'll met you at your dame say 8ish."

"Sure."

"Okay, bye." She said waving then left.

Zell quietly began to walk back to his dorm.

"Hey Zell!" Called Irvine.

He stopped and looked back the brown haired cowboy. "What?"

"I'm going to met up with Squall for lunch want to come with?"

"I-"

"Please, I have to have some one to talk to."

"Fine." He sighed.

"Thank you."

The two began to walk to the cafeteria._ "I was never quite sure if Irvine was his friend or not, it all ways had seem to be that the cowboy wanted him around when ever it benefited him the most."_

"Oh no." sighed Irvine when he noticed that Seifer and his group were all ready in the cafeteria.

_"Seifer, another piece of questionable company. 50 of the time he was okay but the other fifty he torments me."_

"Hi." Said Seifer flatly.

_"Apparently his in one of his nicer moods. Maybe he's bipolar or something."_

"Yo." Said Irvine walking over to the table where Squall was mostly ignoring Seifer because he didn't really know him that well.

Zell followed not wanting to speak with Seifer.

Squall looked up at him and gave him a half smile.

_"Squall was friendly but not at the same time."_

"Hello how are you today." Said Zell.

He shrugged. "…Fine…"

_"Talking to him though was like pulling teeth."_

Squall handed him a piece of paper.

"Eh?"

"New orders."

"_We hadn't had a mission since the Sorceress incident."_

"Cool what's the job?"

"Just read the damn paper."

He glared at him and began to read. 'SeeDs, your mission is to escort and protect a young girl. More details will be given later.' "That's it?"

He handed him a picture. "This is her."

He looked at it the girl looked only to be about twelve she had sort blonde hair and blue eyes. For some reason he felt uneasy.

"Something wrong?" asked Irvine.

"No."

"You sure. You seem spacey."

"I'm fine."

Squall sighed and decided to continue telling him about the girl. "Her name is Lidia."

"Lidia." Zell spoke softly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Irvine.

"Yeah I'm fine." He handed the papers back to Squall. "I'm just tired that's all. I guess I'll see ya later." He said getting up.

Normally things never bothered Zell but for some reason that picture did. He quickly walked to his dorm pushing the thoughts of the picture far back into his mind.

"Zell."

He turned around to see Selphie.

"Are you okay? You seem upset."

"I'm fine…"

"Zell I"

"I said I'm fine I'm just tired. I'll see you later okay." He said smiling.

"Okay…" she said watching him walk away.

Next chapter coming soon. Read review no flames.


	2. The girl

Thanks all for the reviews,. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I haven't had time to type the next chapter. Read review no flames. Italic is Zell's thought.

Deep within

Zell slowly wondered his way back to his dorm. Sleep was all he needed then he'd be fine… or so he thought.

"I haven't seen you all day."

He turned around to see Quistis standing there. "Selphie tells me you've been acting funny."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I told you I am fine. I'm just tired." He began to walk away.

"If you ever need some one to talk to we're here for you."

"I know…"

He walked into his dorm and lay down on his bed.

He knew in his heart something was wrong he just couldn't think of what it was. _"But who was that girl? Why does looking at her picture make me feel so sad…"_

Shortly there after he feel asleep.

The next day…

"Zell." Said Selphie.

"Um."

"Zell?"

"No."

"Zelly, Welly, Zell, Zell."

"What?"

"Get up your going to be late."

"Late? Late for what?"

"The mission."

"Oh yeah that one." He sat up. "Oh crap! The mission!" he hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom and shut the door.

"Your so forgetful Zelly."

He ran back out of the bathroom.

"Come on we have to met the others at the front gate."

They walked to the front gate.

"Took you long enough." Stated Seifer.

"Shut it." Said Zell.

"Make me."

"Stop it. I don't want to hear you two fight all damn day." Said Squall.

"I agree with Squall." Said Irvine.

Both blondes fell silent.

"Okay our mission is simple. We are supposed to get this girl from Ester and bring her back here."

"Question Squall." Said Selphie raising her hand up like she was in class.

"Yes?"

"Why is she in Ester?"

He sighed. "She was under observation."

"Why?"

He growled. "Because they found her at a murder scene."

"Some one that young killed some one?"

"No… okay they don't know but, she is the only eye witness, and she's insane."

"Why are we escorting an insane girl?" asked Irvine.

"I don't know! Let's just go okay!"

"Yes sir." They all said except for Seifer.

At Ester…

"I trust you guys fully." Said Laguna as he led the SEEDs to the holding cells.

"I know you do sir, but if I may ask." Said Squall.

"Go ahead."

"Why are we escorting her?"

"We have been studying her for a while now with our finest technology, she needs to be moved so we can continue the research." He opened the door. "Here she is."

The young girl named Lidia looked up at them; her face was unemotional and blank.

"She can't talk." Said Laguna stepping back.

"Selphie." Said Squall nodding to the girl.

Selphie walked up to the room. "Hello Lidia my name is Selphie." She held out her hand to her. "We're here to take you to a new home."

The little girl took her hand.

Zell took one look at her and began to feel ill. His head began to hurt. "Ouch." He mumbled.

"You okay?" asked Irvine.

"Yeah just a head ache." He began to feel dizzy. "Woo."

"Zell?"

He hunched over.

"Zell?" he asked more concerned running over to his friend.

"I think I know that girl." He mumbled.

"What?"

He looked up at him. "I think I know her."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Squall.

"I…"

Bam Zell hit the floor.

"ZELL!" screamed Selphie running over to him.

Hahhaha cliffy. Next chapter coming soon. Read Review no flames.


	3. Chapter 3

Deep Within

Chapter 3

Zell felt like he was floating away as he laid there.

"Zell!" called some one.

"Let me sleep." He said refusing to open his eyes. Suddenly his vision was filled with a white light and standing over him was that girl. "Lidia?"

"Time to get up Zell." She said.

"Zell!" called out another voice. This one brought him out of his dream state. Standing around him was all of his friends and the girl.

He blinked and moaned as he rolled over on his side covering the side of head with his hands.

"We need a medic in there!" he heard Laguna yell as he heard several other people run in the room.

"Zell! Please don't die!" cried Selphie

Zell realized that someone was standing in front of him.

"What's his name and age?" asked the medic that was closest to him.

"Zell Dincht he's 18." Said Squall. Funny Zell could almost hear emotion in his voice for once.

"Zell." Said the medic as he lowered down to him shining a light in his eyes. Zell flinched.

"Ouch. Don't do that." He mumbled.

"Zell!" exclaimed Selphie.

Slowly Zell was able to get off the floor and stand on his own. He moaned once again as he rubbed his eyes.

"Are you okay? What's your name and age, son?" asked the medic

"I think so. I'm Zell age 18." He said shaking his head. He still didn't feel right.

"What happened?" asked Irvine

"I have no idea." He said catching himself before he fell back over.

"Whoa!" yelled the medic as he helped Zell steady himself. "You should take it easy."

"What are we going to do Squall? Continue the mission with a dizzy chicken wuss?" Asked Seifer gesturing to Zell.

Squall paused then finally answered. "It's a simple mission anyways we should continue." He walked over to Zell. "Your unfit for battle in your condition. Give your junctions to Irvine for now."

"I'm fine I swear!" he yelled then got light headed again.

Squall shook his head. "Is the airship ready for us, Laguna?"

"Yes."

"Then we leave." He said nodding to the door.

The SeeDs followed Squall as Selphie lead Lidia out by the hand.

Zell couldn't shake his uneasy feeling as they walked the long hallway to the airships docks. He glanced at Lidia she was staring at him. Well more through him than at him. He shivered as he focused his sight on the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked Selphie.

He nodded. "Never better."

They arrived at the airship the doors woosed open and they walked in.

"Secure Lidia." Said Squall as he marched to the front of the ship.

Selphie led Lidia to a confinement area. "Stay here and be a good girl." She said as she placed her in there.

"I don't see why we have to escort this kid. I mean she hasn't done a damn thing since we got her." Said Seifer as he walked to the front of the airship.

"Who's going to guard her?" asked Selphie.

"Not me." Said Irvine as he turned away from them. "I'm not a baby sitter." He finished as he walked to the front of the airship.

"I'll do it." Said Zell.

"Are you sure?"

"Y- yeah." He said nodding.

"Kay. Have fun." She said walking to the front of the ship.

He looked over at Lidia who was sitting in the back of the confinement area. He felt the airship lift off the ground as he walked closer to her.

He lowered down to her level. "Who are you?"

She remained silent.

"Do I know you?"

Once again she said nothing.

"Do you know me?"

She continued to stare at him. Her mouth began to move it looked as though she said yes.

"Did you say yes?"

She nodded.

He felt like he made some progress. "How?"

Once again she said nothing.

He sighed feeling defeated before he even began the conversation. Suddenly they airship jarred and the warning alarms went off. He ran to the front of the ship. "What the hell!" he demanded.

"We're crashing something is wrong with the ship!" yelled Irvine as he struggled to maintain control of the ship.

Zell jumped into a nearby seat and fastened himself in it. He held his breath as he heard Irvine yell. "Hang on!" as he saw the ground rush up to them through the windshields.

Author note: I know it's been like three years since an update but I finally updated :) Hopefully it won't be another three years before I have time to update again.


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